Leliana and the rose
by kjmisme
Summary: We all know about Alistair's rose, but where did he get it?


**Note: **

I do not, nor will I ever own the rights to BioWare's Dragon Age: Origins. This story is just to get laughs and giggles. No profit is to be made here. ^_^

**Little bit of history:**

Tanya (PC) is human on her mother's side and her father is an elf from Denerim's Alienage. (Mean game won't let me mix races, so she is seen as an elf.) Tanya was raised by her mother and father in Denerim and was constantly teased by other children about having her mother's features and her father's "knife ears" and nimbleness. When she was six, Tanya showed signs of possessing magical abilities. So at age seven, she was sent to live in the Circle of Magi. There, none of the mages thought of her as an elf, yet, some of the Templars would tease her about it. Sick of being teased, Tanya began to resent her heritage and hide her ears under thick, long black hair.

**Short Rundown of what has happened: (*Spoilers*)**

Passed the Harrowing, barely. Back-stabbed Jowan by telling First Enchanter Irving about what was happening. Did not want to go with Duncan, but had no other choice. After Ostagar, traveled to the Tower of Ishal. Then went off to Lothering. The Brecilian Forest was next on the list of things to do. Orzammar was a pain but made it through.

So now our dys"fun"ctional family is at camp, again.

* * *

Tanya is just getting back to camp after washing the blood off her clothing, again. She really hates having to clean her robes so much.

"If I do this anymore, I am certain that the dies are going to wash away with the stains," Tanya tells herself as she idly walks to her tent. "How hideous would that look?" Not that she really wants to look into a mirror at the moment. For all she knew, she has bags under her eyes, is starting to look like a walking skeleton thanks to Alistair's "lamb stews," and in dire need of a comb. Tanya could not wait until they got to the Circle. _I am going to talk Owain into allowing me to have some new robes, a proper comb, and shoes._

Lost to the world around her and dreaming of a new outfit, Tanya doesn't realize that she is already in camp and about to run into Alistair; who is sitting at his usual post by the fire. A mere inch from plowing into Alistair, Tanya trips and Alistair somehow catches her and twists her around so that she lands in his lap just right.

Tanya looks up into his blue-green eyes and wonders if he is able to do that on command or if it was a fluke. "Sorry, I was thinking of getting some new robes." Tanya says smiling up at her captor. "Thanks for bringing me back to reality."

"Um, you're welcome," Alistair tells her as he assists her in standing up.

"Are you okay?" Tanya asks when she is standing on her own feet, "You've been, quiet, more than usual again."

"I've, uh," Alistair says while standing up, "Stay there for a second," he tells Tanya as he goes into his tent and starts to scavenge for something.

Tanya stays put only out of cheer curiosity. Alistair had never asked her to stay put before. _What is he doing? _

As Alistair came out of his tent, he has a huge grin on his face and his right hand is behind his back. Tanya tries to tilts herself this way and that to see what he has. It doesn't work though. Alistair just repositions himself.

"Here, look at this. Do you know what it is?" Alistair asks while showing Tanya what he was holding behind his back.

Taking the rose into her hands, she looks up at him, and in a very confused voice asks, "Your new weapon of choice?"

Alistair laughs at her quick wit. "Yes, that's right! Watch as I thrash our enemies with the mighty power of floral arrangements! Feel my thorns, darkspawn! I will overpower you with my rosy scent!"

Once they both sobered up a little from their laughing fit, "Or, you know, it could just be a rose. I know that's pretty dull in comparison," Alistair tells her.

Tanya takes a closer look at the rose that he handed her and remembers the nights he would stay up looking at it, even when he thought no one was looking. "You've been thumbing this for a while now," Tanya says in a distant voice.

Alistair's gaze shifts from the deep ember abyss that is Tanya's eyes, into the flickering lights of their fire pit. "I picked it in Lothering. I remember thinking, 'How could something so beautiful exist in a place with so much despair and ugliness?' I probably should have left it alone but I couldn't. The darkspawn would come and their taint would just destroy it. So, I've had it ever since."

All Tanya can do is watch him and wonder what he is talking about.

Alistair, regaining his courage, is once again trapped in her gaze. "I thought that I might give it to you, actually. In a lot of ways, I think the same thing, when I look at you," Alistair told Tanya giving her one of his goofy grins.

Confusion is plain on her face with just a hint of anger behind it. "You think of me as a gentle flower?"

Thinking quickly, "A gentle flower? No. I don't know I'd put it that way." Feeling even more nervous, Alistair unconsciously runs his right hand through his hair. "I guess it's a bit silly isn't it? I just thought, here I am doing all this complaining and you haven't exactly been having a good time of it yourself. You've had none of the good experiences of being a Grey Warden since your joining. Not a word of thanks or congratulations. It's all been death and fighting and tragedy. I thought, maybe I could say something. Tell you what a rare and wonderful thing you are to find amidst all this, darkness."

Tanya was so overcome by what he said. It was true. Since Flemith's hut, all she had known was fighting, killing darkspawn, and her dreams that would keep her up until the dawn. "Aw, that's so…" Tanya has a bad feeling run through her, "Waite. You picked this in Lothering? You didn't happen to pick it from a dead looking rose bush behind the Chantry did you?"

Alistair is dumbfounded by her question, "I uh, did actually. How did you know?"

Tanya shoves the rose back into Alistair's chest. "Here take it back. If Leliana sees that she is going to kill the both of us," Tanya tells him with a hint of panic plain in her voice.

"I don't understand," Alistair tells her placing his hands on hers around the rose.

Tanya tries to explain the situation to Alistair as if he were a small child, "This flower is one of the reasons why Leliana wanted to help fight against the Blight. If she knew that you picked it, she will skin us alive."

"Princess Stabby wouldn't do that. Would she?" Alistair asks while trying to give the flower back to Tanya.

"Do you really want to find out?" Tanya asks shoving it back at Alistair.

"Well, no," giving it back.

"Then I suggest that you keep it and we never speak of this again," Tanya demands and tries to let go.

"Why don't you keep it? She won't kill you," Alistair states while placing it into Tanya's chest.

"What, and have her one day get curious, go through my bag and see it. She'll be furious with me!" Tanya pleads trying again to give it to him.

"But, I intended to give it to you," handing it back to Tanya.

"And it was a wonderful thought but…"

"Alistair, have you seen Schmooples?" Leliana asks scaring both Alistair and Tanya. Tanya, still holding on to the rose, quickly places it behind her back.

Looking like a child who was just caught, "Nope, haven't seen it, have no idea what you are talking about. Must go. Talk to you later Tanya."

_Why you little chicken…_Tanya thinks to herself while giving Alistair a death stare.

Leliana was looking from Alistair to Tanya wanting to know what was happening. "What was that all about?"

"Um, nothing. Come on let's go and look for Schmooples. He's probably picking on Zsadist again." Tanya tells Leliana. That nug and mabari are always chasing one another.

Leliana is looking at Tanya and knows that she is hiding something. "You're keeping something from me."

"I…" Tanya tries, and then thinks better of it. "Alistair and I were just discussing where to go next. We still have to talk to First Enchanter at the Circle for Dagna, so she can…"

"So we're going to the Circle then?" Leliana asks excitedly.

With a large smile on Tanya's face, "Yes. That's exactly where we're going." _Leliana is actually buying this!_

"Uh huh," Leliana says crossing her arms.

_Maybe not._ "Why is it that I can lie to anyone but you?"

"Because I know you too well," Leliana says with a smile.

_Isn't that the truth. _With a deep breath, Tanya hands Leliana the rose.

"What's this, a Rose? For me? That's so dear of you!" Leliana exclaims and giving Tanya a kiss on the cheek.

"I remembered you telling me of your vision and thought you might like it." _How did he word that?_ "To, you know, show you what a rare and wonderful thing you are to find amidst all this turmoil." Now she knew how Alistair felt giving her the flower. _This is embarrassing._

"Is that what you were discussing?" Leliana asks while smelling the rose.

"Yes. He was helping me to come up with the right words to express my gratitude for you." _Half truth is still truth. Right?_

"Where did you find it?"

_I didn't find it, Alistair did_. "In the Brecilian Forest."

Out of nowhere, came a very annoying high-pitched sequel that could only come from Schmooples, and a bark that belonged to Zsadist.

"Hay there goes Schmooples, being, chased, by, Zsadist," Tanya tells Leliana as the two pets ran through the camp site weaving in and out of everything that is in their way. "Come on. Let's go and separate them," Tanya says with a smile and holding out her hand for Leliana to come with her.

Tanya takes one last look in the direction that Alistair ran off in while her and Leliana go and separate Schmooples and Zsadist. She did like that he had thought of her, but…_He is a Templar and we have to defeat the Archdemon. _


End file.
